Reusable nappies just as bad as disposables

For all those green parents who feel a twinge of guilt about the number of disposable nappies their babies get through - rest easy.

They do not harm the environment any more than reusable nappies, experts claimed yesterday.

Throw-aways - which account for 94 per cent of the market - create 400,000 tonnes of waste a year in Britain.

But reusables are just as bad for the planet because of the electricity and fuel used washing and drying them.

The research by the Environment Agency is likely to dismay parents who diligently wash soiled nappies, certain they are being eco-friendly.

But the agency said there were still steps parents could take to help the environment.

Director Tricia Henton added: "Those using reusables can wash them in a bigger load at a lower temperature and without fabric softeners."

Makers of disposable nappies can also use recycled paper fibre and non-fossil power in the manufacturing process.

But the research was dismissed as "flawed" by the Women's Environmental Network. It said: "The assumptions are based on a very small sample basis. Also, energy use has changed because washing machines have improved."

About 2.5 billion nappies are sold a year in Britain - some 7 million a week.